Movies and music have long gone together. Before the “talkies” of the 1920s, a piano or organ player improvised, matching the action on the silver screen. Today, film scoring is embedded in the moviemaking process. It’s a complex art that takes months or even years to master, and involves the composer, the conductor, and the performers — sometimes even a full orchestra. There are a few formal programs for musicians who want to learn the art of film scoring. But it is possible to find a way into the business through connections, nonfilm projects, through building relationships and growing a reputation. That is the path Jay Chattaway took, and it is beautifully detailed in a new biography.
That biography, written by Terri Potts-Chattaway, is titled “Journey to the Inner Light: The Life and Musical Voyage of Jay Chattaway — ‘Star Trek,’ Jazz, and Film Composer.” Author Terri Potts-Chattaway is a former Hollywood producer and “alum of the school of ‘Star Trek,’” as she likes to put it; she is also Jay Chattaway’s wife.
The book is a lively read that captures Jay Chattaway’s transformation from a small-town Pennsylvania boy to the Emmy-winning composer. Nominated seven times for an Emmy, Jay won in 2001 for his musical score for “Star Trek: Voyager.” Chattaway is also a noted music arranger. You’ve no doubt hummed one of his most famous tunes, such as the theme to the movie “Rocky” — which also earned trumpeter Maynard Ferguson a Grammy nomination.
The book draws its title from his most-requested piece of music, “The Orchestral Suite from ‘The Inner Light,’” variations on the score of an awardwinning “Star Trek” episode. He conducted the work with the London Philharmonic at Royal Albert Hall for the 2015 premiere of “Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage.” (Chattaway will conduct again this summer at the Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas.)
This is Potts-Chattaway’s first book-length publication, though she’s published articles and poetry, and keeps a lively blog about her life in sailing. As both biographer and spouse, she walks a delicate line in her new book, as she conveys the ups and downs, the achievements and roadblocks Jay has encountered. Writing about one’s spouse would be challenging enough, but when that person has led an unusually varied and creative life, the challenge increases. That Potts-Chattaway writes with clarity and energy and avoids sentimentality is a testament to her skill as an author. The book is a great read for Trekkies, music lovers, or anyone with a creative dream, curious about how to make it reality.
On Saturday, June 29, at 4 pm, Jay and Terri will join Richard Paradise, MVFS director, onstage for the presentation “Where Does the Music Come From?” They’ll discuss the creation of music for film and television, and show many film clips, “which will take the audience behind the scenes of a ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ television episode, complete with an orchestral recording session and a viewing of a segment of that score with picture,” Jay says. Following that, an Emmy-nominated segment from “30 Years of National Geographic” will be shown first without music, then with music, and Jay will talk about what inspired the music for the segment. Jay’s “wolf theme,” from Stephen King’s film “Silver Bullet,” will also be part of the show, which will conclude with “a beautiful compilation of scenes from ‘Star Trek’ films and television episodes” scored with Jay’s best-known piece, “The Inner Light.”
This event is part of the MV Film Society’s Filmusic Festival, one of the M.V. Film Society’s most popular annual events, and is the first part of what could be considered “Film Score Day.”
At 7 pm, following the Chattaway event, doors will reopen for a feature film about another film music composer, Ennio Morricone, known for scoring films like “Cinema Paradiso,” “The
Untouchables,” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” Together, the Chattaway event and the film “Ennio” offer a rare chance to get an inside view on how film plus music equals magical film-watching experiences. In fact, Chattaway credits Morricone as an influence on his work: “Ennio’s techniques helped make me aware that a composer doesn’t need a hundred musicians to solve the musical equation of scoring a film … What a great coincidence that ‘Ennio,’ the film … will follow our presentation at the Filmusic Festival.”
Doors open at the M.V, Film Center at 3:15 pm on Saturday, June 29, with a wine reception and book signing by Terri Potts-Chattaway, and Jay Chattaway. At 7:30 pm, there will be a screening of “Ennio.” The day’s events are part of the Filmusic Festival at the M.V. Film Center. For more information, please visit mvfilmsociety.com, and read “And the beat goes on” in this week’s MV Times.
